1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for transporting and dispensing wire or cable from a barrel pack. More specifically, it relates to an improved hand truck apparatus incorporating a measuring device, guide eyelets, and a grooved, castered wheel that enhances wire or cable dispensing from a barrel pack.
2. Description of Related Art
Wires and cables used in housing and other industrial projects are often stored in drums that have an inner drum upon which the wire is spooled around, and are known in the art as barrel packs. Barrel packs are a common storage unit to package and dispense hundreds of feet of wire or cable. Wire from a barrel pack is often installed in conduit and electrical boxes by being dispensed directly from the barrel pack. The current standard barrel pack design causes problems when wire or cable is being dispensed, particularly when the wire or cable level is low, as the tension in the wire as it is being dispensed can cause a loop of wire or cable to tighten on the barrel's inner drum. The installer can continue to apply tension, but the tight loop on the inner drum will not slide, and the barrel will be dragged or tipped over instead of allowing the wire to be dispensed. Additionally, a barrel pack can weigh up to 650 lbs or more, and is difficult to transport without equipment designed to carry a barrel. Moreover, wire that is packaged in barrel packs does not typically include footage markers printed on the outer surface, and the installer cannot easily keep track of how much footage of wire or cable remains in the barrel.
One solution to the issues related to dispensing wire from a barrel pack has been to include a single eyelet attached to the barrel pack that is placed over the center of the barrel through which the wire is dispensed. When the wire is dispensed in this manner, it is less likely that a loop of wire will tighten against the inner drum of the barrel pack. Another solution provides a similar eyelet, but places it on a hand truck. These solutions, though advantageous over the former, do not facilitate a wide range dispensing angles nor do they act to reduce the effort required for installation. Additionally, they do not allow for an installer to know the amount of wire remaining in the barrel pack.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus that prevents wire or cable from binding against an inner drum of a barrel pack and allows an installer to know the amount of wire remaining in the barrel pack, all while reducing the effort required to dispense the wire or cable from the barrel pack.